Black Pepper Mango Juice – *Serrano Chili Optional

Juicing has become a ritual in our household. Whenever I start preparing for dinner, Jonathan joins me in the kitchen. While I wash, chop and cook dinner, he’s by my side scrubbing his own pile of fruits and vegetables for the juicer.

I got the juicer last year for my birthday, and we’ve juiced almost every day since then. Hands down, it is the most frequently used gadget we have sitting on our kitchen worktop. And it’s one of my favorites. It has helped us consume so many more fruits and vegetables than we used to. Plus, juice is always a needed pre-dinner boost while I cook.

When Williams-Sonoma invited me to participate in Juice Week, I immediately knew I wanted to join. The theme, “Juices That Bite Back” gave me a bit of a thrill. And I don’t need much encouragement to put a juicer to use.

I was inspired by cocktail drinks to rim a glass with black pepper and salt. I thought it would be a gentle way to add some kick. But was it chicken of me to only just rim the glass with a spice? Probably. I needed something that would give me a real kick and give me a real “bite”.

Grinding black pepper into the juice added a bit more kick. It was d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! The spice tamed the overbearing sweetness of the mango, and gave the juice a richer multi-dimensional flavor. But a subtle spice = a subtle kick. I wanted more!

That’s when Jonathan, the CJO (Chief Juicing Officer), came up with the brilliant idea of chili mango juice. It was a perfect suggestion because my chili plants are in full bloom right now, and I’ve been looking for ways to use up my chilies!

I was scared though. How spicy would it be? Should I juice with or without the chili seeds? But the CJO told me to just throw it in. He promised that if it was too spicy, he would drink it anyway.

So I did. The juice was sweet on the tongue. But once it started going down my throat, it started burning like liquor. The fire went all the way down to my stomach. And then it stopped traveling and just smoldered. Ah, now that was the kick I was looking for!

Here’s the proof that we actually put the pepper into the juicer. See the green dots in the pulp? Those are the remains of the chili pepper.

Brave enough to give it a try? Be careful though. Each chili has a different level of spiciness.